Mehreen Faruqi says he renounced his Pakistani citizenship to run for parliament, something no one else has had to go through.
“I filled out the form, signed it, and put it in my drawer. It was so hard to actually turn that form in,” she said. .
The Green Deputy Leader arrived in Australia from Pakistan in 1992 with her husband and son.
Mehreen Faruqi with her son Osman in 1992 after arriving in Sydney. sauce: attached
She worked as a civil engineer and university lecturer in Sydney before joining the Greens in the New South Wales Legislature ten years later.
Senator Falki says the process of giving up dual citizenship was more difficult than he thought, and he almost had second thoughts.
“When I was filling out that form and writing down my family history, you had to talk about your parents and your grandparents.
“I felt compelled to give up my birthright, which meant giving up my history and my culture.”
Article 44 “Limited” Diversity
Australia’s parliament is by far the most diverse, but non-British and European parliamentary representation remains underrepresented.
Critics such as Senator Faruqi believe the rule prevents people from diverse backgrounds from equally entering politics.
“There is absolutely no reason for this particular law in our constitution. Section 44 must be repealed,” she said.
“It actually limits people from participating in democracy.”
Mehreen Faruqi began his PhD experiments at UNSW in the 1990s. sauce: attached
UNSW constitutional expert Professor George Williams says the law is at odds with modern Australia.
“Probably over 100 years ago, we were concerned that you were a citizen of a foreign power and that our defense secrets would be sold to other nations.
“Today, nobody sees it as a viable concern.”
‘It’s important to show loyalty’
New WA Labor Senator Fatima Payman also had to renounce her citizenship from Afghanistan before running for Congress.
“It was devastating. I came to Australia at the age of eight,” she told SBS.
“It was such a part of my identity. I have to let go of this cultural aspect of what I perceive.”
But she believes the rules should stand alone.
“I think it’s really important to show your loyalty to the country you’re representing.”
Senator Peyman fled Afghanistan with his family and arrived in Australia as a refugee. Her father had come to Australia by boat several years ago to seek asylum.
She was the first parliamentarian to wear a hijab on the parliament floor and one of the youngest parliamentarians.
Fatima Peyman (right) with her family. sauce: Facebook / Fatima Peyman
Giving up her citizenship under the Taliban regime was also a unique challenge, she says.
“It was a pretty tedious process when I was about to abandon [as] There was no official Afghan agency to actually process the application. “
But after seeking help from the Afghan embassy, the senator says the matter has finally been resolved and insists the rules didn’t deter her from running.
“I call Australia home, but I will never go back. But it’s just part of the protocol. And I respect that.”
Labor Senator Fatima Peyman on the Senate floor as the 47th session of Parliament opens at the Houses of Parliament in Canberra on Tuesday 26 July 2022. sauce: AAP / Mick Tsikas
History of Section 44
Article 44 is a broad constitutional rule that sets out the eligibility criteria for candidates.
This includes individuals sentenced to one year or more in prison, bankrupt or insolvent Australians and dual citizens.
It came to the spotlight in 2017 after several MPs, including Labor and Finance Minister Katie Gallagher and Rep. Barnaby Joyce, were expelled from parliament for dual citizenship.
Laws regarding parliamentary eligibility vary around the world.
Professor Williams says Australian law is stricter than other countries’ laws.
“It’s common to say you should be a citizen of the country, but generally [other] No country will strike you if you have dual citizenship. “
In the UK you don’t even have to be a citizen to run for public office.
“You can be a British citizen, but then you can also be a Commonwealth citizen, which is much more liberal,” said Professor Williams.
Changing Article 44, like the rest of the Constitution, requires a referendum.
The government is planning a referendum question for Australians on including Indigenous voices in parliament in the constitution.
Only eight of the 44 referendums since federalism in 1901 have passed.
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Mehreen Faruqi says Australian politicians don’t have to give up citizenship in other countries
Source link Mehreen Faruqi says Australian politicians don’t have to give up citizenship in other countries
